The Secret of Happy Parents - Review

How to Stay in Love as a Couple and True to Yourself

The latest in Steve Biddulph’s ‘The Secret of........' franchise is a book for parents about parents. It is in fact a completely updated version of his 1988 relationship guide The Making of Love (published in the UK as How Love Works). It’s been ‘resuscitated, massaged, Viagra’d and given a major renovation’. So, why re-write it as a book specifically for parents? The answer is simple:

Happy Parents = Happy Children

The book delves into every nook and cranny of your relationship and I guess everyone will find some part that makes them squirm, sigh and laugh in recognition of their own situation.

As with all Biddulph’s books this is written to be an enjoyable read, with lots of humour, warmth, lots of anecdotes and short quizzes. Starting from the point of initial attraction he identifies all the potential danger zones in a relationship and how to solve the problems that can arise.

In identifying the type of couple that you are he draws on the work of Eric Berne, author of ‘Games People Play’ and uses his Parent/Adult/Child to explain the ways in which couples can relate to one another, and how by balancing all these sides of our personality we can make a relationship strong.

Biddulph also shows us how easy it is to fail to communicate with our partners, and how to begin to really talk again. And if you find that the only way you communicate is through fighting, he suggests some ‘rules for fighting’ so that you can both fight fairly.

Now when children are added into the equation the relationship gets a whole lot more complicated. As well as changing your whole life it can bring back memories of your own childhood in ways you may not realise. You can find out how to avoid recycling your childhood through your own children.

Setting boundaries for your children will contribute to making your relationship succeed. This book will help you to ensure that the kids do not take over your relationship leaving you with nothing left for one another.

One again, Steve Biddulph has given us his advice in such an entertaining way that we enjoy the read before we realise how much we have learnt. Completing this book are the great cartoons from John Wright, giving us some extra chuckles along the way.

The Secret of Happy Parents could give you back your zest for life, put the romance back into your relationship and help you to provide a loving atmosphere for your children to grow up in.